1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method for loading bales of crop material or similar units, such as bales of hay or straw on a vehicle.
2. Description of the Prior Art
It is common to press hay, straw, and similar crop materials into bales by means of balers which normally leave the bales in the field arranged in rows. The bales must then later be loaded onto a vehicle, driven to a place of use or storing, and thereafter unloaded from the vehicle. The loading and unloading may be performed manually. However, it is also known to load the bales by means of a loading apparatus having a baler pick-up arranged on one side of the vehicle at the ground surface, and the bales are moved from the pick-up onto the vehicle by means of a conveyor system. In order to obtain a correct function of said known loading apparatus it is necessary that the baler pick-up hits each bale in a certain manner. That means that the bales must be oriented in exactly the same manner on the field. In practice, it is quite often not the case and therefore by using the known loading apparatus it is often necessary to let an assistant move the bales so that all become correctly orientated. Unloading of the bales is most rationally obtained by tilting the vehicle or truck together with the bales arranged thereon. In this manner a number of loads may be arranged immediately adjacent to each other and thus form a stack. However, it has been found that stacks formed by such loads placed loosely side by side are very unstable and often overturn so that the bales become exposed to the influence of the weather and possibly rot.